Tony Callahan, the former senior VP national purchasing, planning and design for Beazer Homes, has left the Atlanta-based home-building firm to form his own consulting firm. The Callahan Consulting Group (CCG) specializes in helping building product and residential construction companies lower costs and lead times, while managing risk throughout the supply chain.

The Merit Group, a nationwide distributor of paint sundries that does business as Lancaster and Five Star, has announced the appointment of Mike Smith as its new VP procurement. Smith will succeed Pat Rourke, who served as VP procurement since 2003.

Smith has been in the role of president of Merit Supply, a division of the Merit Group specializing in the automotive aftermarket, for the past 11 years and will continue to oversee this division in his new role. Prior to that, Smith held the positions of VP purchasing and purchasing director from 1992 to 2000.